5.
What it isn’t…
“…differentiation is unquestionably a key teaching skill. Being seen to
differentiate? That’s just jumping hoops.” Michael Tidd here

6.
What it is…
• “…the process by which differences between pupils are
accommodated so that all students have the best
possible chance of learning"
(to quote the old TDA here )
• “Essentially differentiation is teachers engaging with
individuals and helping them to make progress.”
(A Plain Man’s Guide to Differentiation here)
• “Teachers use well-judged and often imaginative
teaching strategies, [...] that, together with clearly
directed and timely support and intervention, match
individual needs accurately.”
(OFSTED criteria for Outstanding Lessons)

8.
What do the researchers say?
• "Of all the impossible tasks expected of
poor, over-worked teachers, differentiation is the
most troublesome. Why? Because on the one
hand, if you did it properly every lesson you’d be
reduced to a dribbling wreck in less than a
week…on the other hand, …it’s really really
important. Therein lies our dilemma: we know we
should be doing (a lot) more of it but we just
don’t have the time or energy to do it properly."
David Didau (in this_blog )

9.
• "...I am interested in the spirit of differentiation as much
as the techniques. For me, Great Lessons are
characterised by teaching and learning where
differentiation is integral to the entire process. ie the
notion that one size does not fit all and that different
learners will be progressing and different rates is
absolutely explicit and embedded. (To those who think
this is just obvious, well, you’d be surprised how often it
isn’t!)." Tom Sherrington here